Some portable devices comprise integrated speakers for creating sound such as playing back music or having a telephone conversation. The loudness of the integrated speakers is important especially in environments where the ambient noise levels are high, even indoors. The loudness of the integrated speakers in a portable device is important for perception of ringtones of a mobile telephone. In some countries the loudness of the integrated speakers is important for listening to radio broadcasts.
In some parts of the world a portable device with an integrated speaker may be the only device the user owns which is capable of playing music. For example, a user may only be able to play music using a loudspeaker of a mobile telephone. The loudness and quality of sound from an integrated speaker is even more important if a user is solely reliant on an integrated speaker of a portable device for music playback.
Furthermore nanotechnology is a toolbox of methods that enable the tailoring or construction of structures at molecular scales and permit the tuning of properties of the materials forming the structures. These advanced materials enable bendable and even stretchable devices to be constructed. The possibility to bend, twist and stretch the device with the ability to measure the affect of the bending, twisting and stretching the device enables the bending, twisting or stretching to be used as an input method to control the device.
According to a first aspect there is provided an apparatus comprising: a flexible substrate material configured to operate in at least two shapes; and at least one transducer located within the flexible substrate material configured to produce a transducer output, wherein the flexible substrate is configured to affect the transducer output.
The flexible substrate may be configured with at least one adjustable cavity which can open and close a surface opening coupling the transducer to the outside of the apparatus.
The flexible substrate may be configured with two adjustable cavities, a first cavity opening a surface opening coupling the transducer to the outside of the apparatus and a second cavity forming an adjustable acoustic filter for the transducer.
The apparatus may further comprise an adhesive material on the surface of the flexible substrate material so to enable a seal when closing the adjustable cavity.
The apparatus may further comprise a layer of harder flexible material on the surface of the flexible substrate material.
The flexible substrate material may be configured with the at least one adjustable cavity to form a small opening suitable for an earpiece opening.
The flexible substrate material may be configured with the at least one adjustable cavity to form a large opening suitable for a handsfree opening.
The at least one transducer may be a dipole transducer, and wherein the at least one adjustable cavity may comprise a first adjustable cavity which can open and close a surface opening coupling the transducer to one side of the apparatus and a second adjustable cavity which can open and close a second surface opening coupling the transducer to the opposite side of the apparatus.
The flexible substrate material may couple at least two transducers in such a way that flexing the substrate material locates the transducers within a defined array configuration.
The flexible substrate material may be configured to be able to perform at least one of: stretched so to increase the distance between the at least two transducers; compressed so to decrease the distance between the at least two transducers; bent inwards so to shorten the audio focal point between the at least two transducers; and bent outwards so to lengthen the audio focal point between the at least two transducers.
The flexible substrate material may form a flexible mesh locating the at least one transducer relative to other transducers.
The flexible substrate material may be configured to propagate acoustic waves between the outside of the apparatus and the transducer.
The transducer output may be at least one audio signal affected based on the shape of the flexible material.
The apparatus may further comprise: at least one sensor configured to generate a configuration output; and a signal processor configured to signal process the transducer output dependent on the configuration output.
The at least one sensor may comprise at least two sensors of different types.
The at least one transducer may comprise an array of transducers which are flexibly coupled by the flexible substrate material.
The flexible substrate material may be a web of flexible polymer which surrounds the transducers.
The flexible substrate material may comprise at least one of: a carbon nanotube network; a graphene ribbon network; a flexible polymer; a cavity or void filled with foam; a polymer material; a foam material; and a polymer with microscale cracks configured to make the substrate flexible.
According to a second aspect there is provided an apparatus comprising: flexible substrate means configured to operate in at least two shapes; and transducer means located within the flexible substrate means configured to produce a transducer means output, wherein the flexible substrate means affect the transducer means output.
The flexible substrate means may comprise at least one adjustable cavity which can open and close a surface opening coupling the transducer means to the outside of the apparatus.
The flexible substrate means may be configured with two adjustable cavities, a first cavity opening a surface opening coupling the transducer means to the outside of the apparatus and a second cavity forming an adjustable acoustic filter for the transducer means.
The apparatus may further comprise adhesive means on the surface of the flexible substrate means so to enable a seal when closing the adjustable cavity.
The apparatus may further comprise a further more rigid means on the surface of the flexible means.
The flexible substrate means may be configured with the at least one adjustable cavity to form a small opening suitable for an earpiece opening.
The flexible substrate means may be configured with the at least one adjustable cavity to form a large opening suitable for a handsfree opening.
The transducer means may be a dipole transducer, and wherein the at least one adjustable cavity may comprise a first adjustable cavity which can open and close a surface opening coupling the transducer means to one side of the apparatus and a second adjustable cavity which can open and close a second surface opening coupling the transducer means to the opposite side of the apparatus.
The flexible substrate means may couple at least two transducer means in such a way that flexing the substrate material locates the transducer means within a defined array configuration.
The flexible substrate means may be configured to be able to perform at least one of: stretched so to increase the distance between the at least two transducer means; compressed so to decrease the distance between the at least two transducer means; bent inwards so to shorten the audio focal point between the at least two transducer means; and bent outwards so to lengthen the audio focal point between the at least two transducer means.
The flexible substrate means may form a flexible mesh locating the at least one transducer means relative to other transducer means.
The flexible substrate means may be configured to propagate acoustic waves between the outside of the apparatus and the transducer means.
The transducer means output may be at least one audio signal affected based on the shape of the flexible substrate means.
The apparatus may further comprise: at least one sensor means for generating a configuration output; and signal processor means for signal processing the transducer output dependent on the configuration output.
The at least one sensor means comprises at least two sensors of different types.
The at least one transducer means may comprise an array of transducers which are flexibly coupled by the flexible substrate material.
The flexible substrate means may be a web of flexible polymer which surrounds the transducers.
The flexible substrate means may comprise at least one of: a carbon nanotube network; a graphene ribbon network; a flexible polymer; a cavity or void filled with foam; a polymer material; a foam material; and a polymer with microscale cracks configured to make the substrate flexible.
The transducer or transducer means may be at least one of: a microphone transducer; and a speaker transducer.